Pellegrini wary of battling Bluebirds

West Ham will have to be "sharp" and aggressive" at Premier League strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday, Manuel Pellegrini has warned.

The Hammers will be looking to remain in the hunt for seventh place and a potential Europa League spot when they head to Wales to take on the relegation-threatened Bluebirds.

Pellegrini is also desperate to avoid a repeat of his last trip to the Cardiff City Stadium, a shock 3-2 defeat while he was in charge of Manchester City.

"I remember that, we lost from two corners," Pellegrini said at his pre-match press conference.

"I hope that things change. That is just a statistic from last time. We need to play for 95 minutes and concentrate on every ball.

"It is my duty to convince the players that the position in the table of Cardiff will mean it is a more difficult game, not an easy one.

"They will play at home, they are fighting against relegation, they don't have many points difference to other teams above them.

"So we need to play with a high pace from the beginning, be a sharp team, be an aggressive team and try to attack and win the game."

This article originated on sportinastorm.com

Craig Smithson is a journalist with over two decades of experience at the keyboard. A life-long Middlesbrough fan, Craig has an in-depth knowledge of all football and is also a keen fan of boxing amongst other sports.